He woke with a start, surprised to see sunlight peeking through the curtains. Feeling around for his wand, his fingers quickly grasped the wood and he cast a spell to show him the time.

8 am.

"Fuck!" he hissed loudly as he scrambled about the room, gathering up his clothes. He glanced at the sleeping witch in the bed and tried to be quiet. That all went to hell when he tripped over the heels she had been wearing the night before and fell to the floor.

"Theo?"

"Sorry, I'm sorry. I was trying to be quiet. It's late and I have to get back before those degenerate roommates of mine realize I never came home last night."

Since he was too busy trying to find his other shoe, he missed the dejected sigh that fell from his witch's lips.

"Theo, this is getting a bit ridiculous. Wouldn't it be easier to just tell them? It's been a year…"

"I know. I just need a little bit more time. I'll owl you later," he said, dropping a quick kiss to the top of her head. He tried to ignore the disappointed look that appeared on her face.

He stumbled out of the Floo and quickly made his way to his room, only to be stopped short by a noise behind him.

"Well, well, well, just what do we have here? Sex hair and wearing the same clothes from last night? Looks like someone is doing the good ol' walk of shame. What do you think, Draco?"

"Sure looks that way to me, Blaise."

"So, who's the bird?" Blaise asked.

"What? I don't know what you guys are talking about. I was just tired when I got home and crashed, that's all."

The look that Blaise and Draco shared told him that neither of his friends believed his words.

"Come on, Theo. Share the details. I'm getting married soon so I need to live vicariously through you and Draco over here. And we all know he's too much of a prat to get any."

"Oi!" Draco yelled.

"I'm going to go shower. I'm not telling either of you prats anything."

The jeers followed him into the bathroom and didn't stop until he slammed the door and turned the water on. Fifteen minutes later, he felt much better and attempted to sneak back into his room without seeing Blaise or Draco. Unfortunately, he was not that lucky.

"Theo, an owl came for you. Maybe it's from your lover," Draco taunted.

"What are you, twelve? Give me the letter," he said, trying to grab the letter from Draco's hands.

"Let's just see what she has to say," Blaise said as he took the letter from Draco, ripped the envelope open, and began to read it out loud.

"Theo,

I'm sitting here, in your favorite chair of mine, looking at the Floo that you just left from, hoping you change your mind and return. I know, however, that that won't happen. I've tried to tell myself to just give you the time you asked for, but Theo, it's been over a year. How much longer can this really go on? How much longer can my heart take being treated as little more than a whore by the man that I love?

I understand that you don't want to risk your friendships by outing our relationship. You know that I understand having the kind of friendship that you feel as if they are your brothers. But if they were truly your friends, they would understand. I told Harry two months after we started… whatever this is, and he was only mad that I didn't tell him earlier. Needless to say, he's not very happy with you.

You are probably wondering what the point of this letter is. I can't do this anymore, Theo. It's tearing me apart, and it's not fair to either of us to keep on this way. I love you, Theo. I only hope that you can be happy.

Love,

HG"

He snatched the letter away from Blaise, unable to believe that the words he just spoke out loud were the truth. This couldn't be happening; he couldn't lose her.

"Theo, mate, what the hell?"

"I… I don't… fuck," he sputtered as he slumped down into the nearest chair. His head hit the table with a loud 'thunk', and he could only groan as the pain radiated across his forehand. "What have I done?"

"Completely screwed up with a witch that apparently loves you enough to let you keep her a secret for over a year. What's wrong with her that you didn't think you could tell us? You know we only care if you are happy."

"It's Granger," Draco answered for Theo.

"Really? How do you know that?" asked Blaise.

"Come on, Blaise. She mentions a 'Harry' and her initials are HG. Who else could it possibly be?"

They both looked at him and all he could do was nod in agreement. He narrowed his eyes as Blaise scoffed.

"Why didn't you tell us? We all know that Draco here is obsessed with Potter's arse."

"I… I don't know. Everything was just so perfect, I guess I didn't want to risk anything going wrong if you guys didn't approve."

"Mate, you know we don't care who you date. We are all friendly with the 'Golden Trio' now anyway," Blaise reminded him.

"I guess now would be a good time to tell you both that I've been seeing Potter for the past couple of weeks," Draco said, looking down at the ground. Theo struggled to contain a laugh.

"Yeah, we know. You two aren't nearly as sneaky," Theo said. Draco's head shot up.

"If you knew, then you should have also knew we would be okay with you and Hermione. What were you thinking, Theo?"

"I don't know. Oh gods, I've screwed everything up. She's never going to forgive me!"

"Sure she will, mate. Just go over there and tell her you are the world's biggest idiot."

He narrowed his eyes at Blaise but didn't respond because he knew he was correct. Standing up, he headed for the Floo and attempted to go to Hermione's flat – only to be flung violently across the room as her Floo rejected him.

"Shit! She blocked her Floo. I bet she also warded me out. What should I do?"

Draco cleared his throat.

"I might be able to help you."

Next thing he knew, he was standing in Potter's living room, looking at a very angry Boy-Who-Lived.

"I should hex you, Nott."

"I know. I deserve it. Just, please, help me."

He was wary of the look in Potter's eyes. As he well should have been since Potter's fist was suddenly making its acquaintance with his face.

"Fuck! Damn it, Potter!" he yelled, holding his face as blood starting running from his nose.

"You didn't think it would be easy, did you?" Potter asked, sounding as if he was trying to hold back laughter. "You can use my Floo. And Nott? Don't screw it up."

He nodded and floo'd to Hermione's flat. The first thing that he saw was Hermione sitting on her couch, crying.

"Hermione," he said, wincing at how strangled his voice sounded. Her head shot up and when she saw him standing there, the tears fell faster.

"Theo, get out of here. I don't want to see you anymore."

"I know, I know. I just… I'm so sorry, Hermione. I never meant to hurt you like this, never meant to make you feel like you were a whore. You are the furthest thing from one. Please, can you ever forgive me?"

"I don't know, Theo. Why won't you just tell people? Are you that ashamed of me?"

"No, of course not! How could I be? You're gorgeous and the smartest witch to walk the halls of Hogwarts since Rowena herself. I'm ashamed of myself. I don't understand what you see in me, and I guess I've been putting off telling people because I was convinced you would end up leaving me for someone better."

"Oh, Theo. I love you. There is no one better."

"I love you too. So much," he said, opening up his arms in hopes that she would return to them. He was rewarded when she flung herself at him.

"Marry me?"

She pulled back, surprise evident on her face.

"Really?"

"Yes. I love you, Hermione. Marry me, please."

"Oh, Theo! Yes!"

As her lips met his, he never thought that his walk of shame that morning would lead to this. But he was sure glad it did.

Written for: The OTP Prompt Competition.
Pairing: Hermione/Theo
Prompt: [action] Walk of Shame

Thanks to raybe for the beta duties and Liza for the help.